Fox Studios' Good Neighbor Policy

In the design of the new Child Development Center on the Fox Studios lot in Los Angeles, engineers from Syska & Hennessy chose to be good neighbors.Because the 10,000-square-foot facility with seven classrooms and an outdoor playground was to be located at the edge of the 52.9-acre lot, the facility's design had to take into consideration the concerns of a neighboring 20-story hotel.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff

12/01/2000

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In the design of the new Child Development Center on the Fox Studios lot in Los Angeles, engineers from Syska & Hennessy chose to be good neighbors.

Because the 10,000-square-foot facility with seven classrooms and an outdoor playground was to be located at the edge of the 52.9-acre lot, the facility's design had to take into consideration the concerns of a neighboring 20-story hotel. When the engineering team found out that hotel operators were concerned about noise, glare and the aesthetic view of the center's roof from the window's of hotel guests, the engineers diligently responded with a plan.

According to Rob Bolin, P.E., Syska & Hennessy, Los Angeles, an acoustic consultant was brought in to suggest ways to achieve vibration isolation. This was particularly important because the Fox facility has wood frame which doesn't absorb sound as well as concrete.

With the lighting issue, Syska's Dan Martin, P.E., explains that the chosen approach was to carefully analyze the angles and reflections and then design the outdoor lighting system to limit glare and light pollution.

Regarding the hotel's view of the center's roof, the engineers strategically placed architectural screens to minimize the visual impact.

To date, the hotel owner's concerns have been appeased, thanks to some thoughtful and clever engineering on the part of the design team.